By Leonard Klady Klady@moviecitynews.com
Valentine Day Movieholic
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The declining appeal of horror movies didn’t last long. The resurrected Friday the 13th slew the competition, debuting to an estimated $42.3 million in the first three days of the President’s holiday weekend. The session also included national bows for the romantic comedy Confessions of a Shopaholic of $15.7 million that ranked fourth and the financial thriller The International slotted seventh on a gross of $9.6 million. There was strong response for Two Lovers of $87,200 from a limited seven screen launch and new niche fare also contributed to record-breaking revenues for the holiday frame. The 3-D Imax Under the Sea launched on 49 sites generated $610,000 and the Bollywood entry Billu Barber clipped a stylish $508,000 from 70 engagements. All told the marketplace received a hefty stimulus package that benefited a broad range of pictures new and old as well as the critically embraced and rejected. The terror of Crystal Lake — Friday the 13th — had a heady run in the 1980s that sputtered out in a television series. It also had a brief revival earlier in the current decade and its latest incarnation was on track based on polling studies to clobber everything in its path. Thursday sneaks got the ball rolling with more than a $1 million tally followed by an $18 million opening day and the cheap thrills are already mapping out future mayhem. Expectations were high for Confessions of a Shopaholic but its opening was somewhat curbed by both the horror yarn and the continuing potency of He’s Just Not That Into You, which finished third with $19.1 million. Competition from Taken cut into The International’s appeal but the latter film wasn’t expected to show much commercial potency and chilly critical response iced the deal. President’s Day revenues are expected to ring up about $190 million for the three-day portion that bests last weekend’s box office by 25%. It should swell to close to $235 million for the full holiday period; that’s 43% improved from 2008 when the trio of Jumper, The Spiderwick Chronicles andStep Up 2 topped the charts with respective 4-day grosses of $32.1 million, $24.7 million and $22.1 million respectively. Movie going since the start of 2009 has the industry happily surprised in the face of the current economic downturn that’s been injurious to virtually every other sector of the marketplace. Recent major staff cuts at the studios and mini-majors may prove to be overly cautious in light of the strong returns for such low risk entries as Paul Blart, Gran Torino and Slumdog Millionaire. Slumdog if nothing else has won the audience award in the Oscar post-nomination window. Other best picture nominees as well as Doubt and The Wrestler, which secured berths in acting categories, are struggling to hold onto screens as the award telecast looms and the also-rans can expect almost instant extinction following next Sunday’s announcements. Estimates – February 13 – 16, 2009
Domestic Market Share – January 1 – February 12, 2009
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